VENTURA, Calif. – The No. 9 Santa Barbara City College Women’s Soccer team (14-4, 9-0) celebrated their third consecutive Western State Conference (WSC) North championship on Tuesday night after a 4-3 victory at Ventura (6-12-1, 4-5-1).

This title has been by far the most dominant of the three, though. Not only did they win it with three games to spare, and not only are they undefeated, but they have won all nine of their conference games—no draws. For context, LA Pierce currently sits in second place with four losses. No one has even been close to the Vaqueros throughout conference play.

Credit, undoubtedly, goes to the student-athletes, who have shown their quality and confidence time and again. The Vaqueros currently boast a conference goal differential of 32-7, proving that point. But the coaching staff also deserves their flowers; Head Coach Alex Zermeno, Associate Head Coach Jaime Alvarado, and Goalkeeper Coach Adrian Gonzalez have shaped this program into a perennial conference winner. Oh, and they coach the Men’s program, too.

The Vaqueros had basically already clinched on Tuesday before kickoff thanks to LA Pierce’s earlier loss at Cuesta. However, that did not hold them back in their own performance, bursting out to a 4-0 lead inside 25 minutes on Ventura’s home pitch.

A few conference player-of-the-year candidates supplied the early goals. Leilani Sanchez scored just one minute in from a nice move with Morgan Retterer and Fiona Bulmer. In the eighth minute, Retterer found the back of the net via another assist from Bulmer to double the Vaqueros’ lead.

Then, Bulmer scored twice just two minutes apart—in the 22nd and 24th minutes. Elle Eichenberger assisted the first, with Sanchez providing the second. That brought Bulmer’s count to six goals and six assists in her last five games played. Yes, 12 goal involvements in a handful of games.

In the previous meeting between these two teams, Eichenberger scored a late goal to win the game. Ventura made a game out of this one, too, as the Vaqueros had to hang on in the final minutes to secure the win.

Shortly after Bulmer’s second goal, Ventura scored on a penalty. With the score 4-1 at halftime, Ventura scored again on a penalty in the 63rd minute to make things interesting.

Another Pirate goal in the 87th minute made it 4-3, leaving the Vaqueros with no more room for error in a game they once held a four-goal cushion. Ultimately, they saw out the last few minutes to keep their perfect conference record.

With three dead rubber games left before the postseason, Sanchez (10) and Bulmer (seven) lead the team in goals. Retterer’s nine assists lead the conference, with Bulmer currently at six.

The Vaqueros host Allan Hancock (7-10-1, 4-6) on Friday at 12 noon in the penultimate home game of the regular season.